OREGON: Anti-Gay Bakery Finally Pays Up

Despite raising over $500K via Christian crowdfunding campaigns, Oregon’s anti-gay bakery refused to pay its fine. Until today:

The co-owner of a Gresham bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple delivered a $136,927 check that covers the couple’s damages following the January 2013 incident. Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, refused to bake a cake for Rachel and Laurel Bowman-Cryer, saying it would infringe on their religious beliefs.

In July, Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian ordered the Kleins pay $135,000 for emotional damages suffered by the couple. “This case is not about a wedding cake or a marriage. It is about a business’s refusal to serve someone because of their sexual orientation. Under Oregon law, that is illegal,” the bureau’s final order states.

The state will hold the check until the appeals process is exhausted. (Tipped by JMG reader John)